The National Society of Professional Engineers has named 14 professional engineers to its 2017 class of Fellow members. The Fellow membership grade honors those active NSPE members who have demonstrated exemplary and devoted service to their profession, the Society, and their community. Requirements for the designation include holding at least one elected office at any level and active involvement at the national level.

Critical infrastructure decay is occurring in this country at an unsustainable rate. Decades of negligence and underfunding has brought the U.S. to a tipping point. Recent events such as the near failure of the Oroville Dam and the Gold King Mine blowout, as well as the 2017 Infrastructure Report Card, emphasize that the time to invest in infrastructure is now.

Jennifer Bountry, P.E., a civil engineer, specializing in hydraulics, with the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, in Denver, Colo., has been named the National Society of Professional Engineers’ 2017 Federal Engineer of the Year. Bountry received the honor during the 38th Annual FEYA Banquet at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on February 17, 2017.

Recognizing the promise of autonomous vehicles, the National Society of Professional Engineers has been a leading advocate on the need to place the public health, safety, and welfare first, and require a licensed professional engineer to play a key role in the development, testing, and safety certification of autonomous vehicles.

The National Society of Professional Engineers has named 23 professional engineers to its 2016 class of Fellow members. The Fellow membership grade honors those active NSPE members who have demonstrated exemplary and devoted service to their profession, the Society, and their community.

Maj. Josh Aldred, Ph.D., P.E., the operations flight commander with the 8th Civil Engineer Squadron at Kunsan Air Base in the Republic of Korea, has been named the National Society of Professional Engineers’ 2016 Federal Engineer of the Year. Aldred received the honor during the 37th Annual FEYA Banquet at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on February 26, 2016.

In recognition of the vital role federal engineers play in national security, infrastructure improvement, disaster recovery, new technologies, and other important areas, the National Society of Professional Engineers has again selected 10 high-caliber finalists for its prestigious 37th Annual Federal Engineer of the Year Award program.

The National Society of Professional Engineers installed Tim Austin, P.E., F.NSPE, as president for the 2015-16 year at the Society’s annual meeting in Seattle. Austin is a professional engineer with the firm of Kaw Valley Engineering, Inc. His diverse work experience has provided him with a unique perspective of the engineering and construction industries and he has been an experienced and accomplished manager in both the public and private sectors.

Amy M. Barrett, P.E., F.NSPE was recently awarded the 2015 NSPE President’s Award for exceptional leadership, guidance, service, and support rendered to the Society, and for serving as a devoted advocate and role model for all young engineers. Barrett received the award during the National Society of Professional Engineers’ Annual Meeting in Seattle.

Ahmet Zeytinci, Ph.D., P.E., F.NSPE, of Washington, D.C., was recently awarded the 2015 Professional Engineers in Higher Education (PEHE) Engineering Education Excellence Award by the National Society of Professional Engineers and the Professional Engineers in Higher Education at its annual meeting in Seattle.